Mississippi State
Tulane
No. 24 Bulldogs Taking On Tulane
February 24, 2024 | Men's Tennis
NEW ORLEANS – Riding a three-match winning streak, Mississippi State made its return to the top 25 this week.
The 24th-ranked Bulldogs (7-3) are bound for The Big Easy to tangle with Tulane on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the City Park Tennis Center.
Individual rankings were also included in the latest update from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Petar Jovanovic came in at No. 29 in the singles' rankings and leads MSU with a 17-9 overall record. Jovanovic also makes up half of the nation's 42nd-ranked doubles tandem alongside fellow sophomore Benito Sanchez Martinez.
Senior Nemanja Malesevic also reentered the singles rankings at No. 95. Malesevic has posted a an exceptional 6-1 record during dual match play and is coming off a 6-1, 7-6(6) victory over then 36th-ranked Matisse Bobichon to clinch the Bulldogs' 4-2 victory over VCU on Feb. 11.
Malesevic was named SEC Player of the Week for his performance against the Rams and North Florida and became the first Mississippi State player to claim the honor since Florian Broska did so in 2021.
Tulane enters Sunday's contest at 2-6 with both wins coming on Friday. The Green Wave beat Ole Miss 5-2 and then blanked Southern 7-0 as part of a home doubleheader.
Mississippi State has had success historically against the Green Wave. The Bulldogs lead the series over Tulane 17-7 and have taken nine of the last 10 meetings since 2005. State is 7-4 against the Green Wave on the road including a 5-2 victory in the Crescent City in 2021 with Malesevic claiming one of those victories.
Matt Roberts' Bulldogs beat Tulane 4-3 in Starkville last season. Jovanovic, Malesevic and Carles Hernandez helped MSU take the doubles point while Jovanovic and Malesevic earned singles wins to edge the Green Wave.
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
